George Osborne this morning claimed that Lord Stern would "advise" the Conservative party. But Lord Stern was quick to deny any advisory role for a political party.
Someone must really want to hurt figure-of-fun, “Boy” George Osborne. As these images from the BBC show, within a minute of announcing that Lord Stern would advise the Conservatives, the man in question had issued a statement denying his involvement.
The full story is reported in the Evening Standard and on Sky. George Osborne announced he was “delighted that Lord Stern has agreed to advise us on the creation of this Green Investment Bank”. Only for Lord Stern to say later:
“I should stress that I am not, and have no plans to be, an adviser to any political party.
“Climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy should be high on the agenda for every political party, not just to reduce the risks that result from greenhouse gas emissions but also to stimulate an exciting period of growth, creativity and innovation.
“I would be willing to speak to the Conservatives’ advisory group about their ideas for a Green Investment Bank, just as I am continuing to contribute to discussions with the Labour Government about policies on climate change.”
Lord Stern was second permanent secretary at the Treasury while Gordon Brown was Chancellor from 2003 until his retirement in 2007.
UPDATE 17.11
Liberal Conspiracy also have the story.
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14 Responses to “Osborne’s climate gaffe”
James Cowley
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